Rocks and Pebbles
by Kimblee Whitehead
Summary: She told them to stand against the wall, still as a statue, while she threw rocks at them. Whoever still stood when she was out of rocks could call himself her friend. And Baatar was determined: Kuvira would be his friend.


He was seven when he met her, on the first day of school. Parents held the hands of their soon to be students, sending them away with hugs and kisses. He clutched gingerly onto his mother's hand, while she escorted him into the building.

And that's when he saw her. Unlike the other children, who clung to their parents with their lives, she walked a distance behind her father, as if she was merely a shadow. With dirt-covered clothes hanging loose around her body, as she had not grown into the fabric's size, and hair hung untamed around her head.

And even then, she was beautiful.

They reached the classroom, and his mother let go of his hand, "Have a marvelous day, my love," she whispered to him, and kissed him on his forehead in typical mother fashion. A routine echoed the rest of the students.

Except her. Without so much as a kiss, a hug, or a pat on the back, he stumbled awkwardly out of the classroom. She didn't bother to watch him leave, instead finding a place to sit. She took out a pen and paper, and began to draw.

He wanted to talk to her. With newfound determination, he decided she would be his first friend at this school. He walked up to her spot.

"Hi!" He exclaimed at her. He extended his hand, as he had been told to. The proper way to start friendships, "My name is Baatar!"

"I don't care," she said, simply, and went back to her drawings. He stood their, dumbstruck. This wasn't how friendships were suppose to start, "Go away." she finished. Those two words hurt more then any injury.

But as much as he wanted to protest, he respected her request, and walked away with his metaphorical tail between his legs. He looked back once, and saw that she wasn't paying him any mind. He wondered what it was that had caused that reaction. He clothes? His glasses? His breath?

No sooner had he been rejected, their class had started. The teacher introduce herself, and began calling attendance. Baatar only listened for two things. His name, which he would respond to, and the name which she would respond to.

"Kuvira?"

Her dirt cover hand shot up, tall as she could possibly make it.

Baatar smiled. Her name was Kuvira. He had never met someone named Kuvira before.

At the end of the day, as his mother walked him home, he asked her, "Mom, do you like the name Kuvira?"

"It's unique," she replied, "Though it wouldn't be my first choice for my child. Why do you ask?"

He wouldn't reply, being too caught up in his plan. He wouldn't give up, he decided.

He would make Kuvira his friend.

And for the rest of the night, a smile would form on his lips, as he pictured the day he would ask to be her friend, and she would say yes.

* * *

><p>She was seven when she first took notice of him, near the end of the school year. She had managed to go the school year without making a single friend, just as she wanted it. Though her classmates tried. Every day, she was met with offers of games, food. Desperate classmates, pining for her attention. And as the days continued, the more desperate they became.<p>

She decided she needed a way to scare them off, once and for all. And so one day, at the end of class, she rounded up all of her would be friends. Five stupid boys. She gathered them behind the school, where adults couldn't find them.

She lined them all up by an old fence, and explained her little deal. They would stand there, their hands behind their head, close their eyes, and do nothing. She would throw rocks at them. If they could last by the time they were out of rocks, they could be her friend for the rest of eternity.

And so her game began. She began throwing rocks as hard as she could, one after the other, determined to make quick work of them. She couldn't help but smile at her cleverness. While they stood dumbly with their eyes closed, not realizing that her amount of rocks was infinite.

Shu was the first to leave. Raising his hands stubbornly in the air, he decided no girl was worth this. He was smart that way. He was followed soon by Sora and Taika, leaving two resilient, stupid boys.

It took another two minutes until Tai threw in the towel. He opened his eyes, and saw her earth bending. His temples flared, enraged at her trickery.

"You're an earth bender!" he exclaimed, "You're not gonna run out of rocks!"

She simply shrugged off his complaint, as she threw one last stone at him, a parting gift as he ran away.

And then there was one. The stupid boy with glasses.

"You're an earth bender," he asked. Hands still behind his head, eyes still closed. He was one of the more persistent of her classmates.

"Yeah," she replied back. She threw a rock at his shoulder with perfect accuracy.

"So you're not gonna run out of rocks?" he asked.

"No," she threw another rock at the same shoulder. He winced, but held his ground, "Got a problem with that?"

"Nope," he said, "Keep 'em coming."

She glared at him, annoyed at his persistent. She threw another rock, harder this time.

"I'm Baatar. I introduced myself to you on the first day, but I'm not sure if you remembered my name."

"I didn't she said." Another rock. Another perfect hit.

And so it continued. She would throw a rock at him. He would wince, then smile at her. He would talk to her. She would respond as vaguely as possible, and throw another rock at him. She was determined to break his cheery nature.

"I think you're really pretty," he would say.

"Thanks," she would reply. Another rock. Another hit.

And as this continued, her rocks started to become smaller. They weren't as heavy, made with lighter materials. Rocks became smaller rocks, and smaller rocks became pebbles.

"Do you think you're gonna do well on the history quiz?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"I can help you study if you want! My mom taught me everything about the 100 year war. My grandma is Toph Beifong!"

"Toph?" she gasped. Her aim was off for the first time, with pebble grazing the top of her head.

"Yep. Cool, right?"

"Psh," she brushed it off, "It's not that cool."

"It's pretty cool."

"Whatever," she said, throwing a pebble at his forehead.

It was then that Tai came running back to their little game.

"You're still doing this?" he exclaimed, "Come on, your mom was here. I didn't want to tell her that a you were getting rocks thrown at you."

Baatar sighed, and opened his eyes. He laughed, rubbing his shoulder.

"I should go," he said, "I don't want you to get in trouble."

"I guess, I win, then," she replied.

"I guess you do," he said, and began to run off with Tai, "Bye, Kuvira! See you tomorrow!"

And as he left, she realized he had left her with a smile as a parting gift.

"Baatar," she spoke, letting his name linger on her lips.

At the end of the day, as she fixed dinner for her and her father, she would ask him, "What do you think of the name Baatar?"

"That's a stupid question," he would slur, "Baatar. That's a stupid name."

"Yeah," she would agree, and laugh at her memories of earlier.

And for the rest of the night, the smile would sneak upon her face, as she thought about the boy who let her throw rocks at her.


End file.
